Monday, November 24, 2014

This week's recipe is a nice treat that uses ingredients of the season, Crock Pot Cranberry Applesauce! I always use my crock pot now for making applesauce, it is so easy, and not as labor intensive when cooking, in my opinion. I'm also a lover of all things cranberry, so I thought I'd give this recipe a whirl this year. I had a bunch of orchard apples in my pantry that were starting to go soft, so that means applesauce time in my house! With this recipe, you add the brown sugar to taste, as it really depends on your preference and the type of apples you use. Cranberries are naturally tart, so some sweetener is likely needed. My apples were a mix of Macintosh and honey crisp, and I used a half cup of packed light brown sugar, and it was perfect. My 2 year old gobbled some up at breakfast this morning, so if she likes it, it's a good recipe, LOL!

Crock Pot Cranberry Applesauce

About 5 lbs apples, peeled, cored and sliced

1 bag fresh cranberries (12 oz)

2 cinnamon sticks

brown sugar, to taste (add a quarter cup at a time until you get the sweetness you want)

Peel, core & slice apples, and place in your slow cooker. Pour in the bag of fresh cranberries and throw in the cinnamon sticks. Cook on low for 6-8 hours.

When done, remove the cinnamon sticks and mash the applesauce in the crock, or use an immersion blender, depending on whether you want a chunky or smooth sauce. Add some brown sugar, 1/4 cup at a time and taste it until you get the desired sweetness you want.

Store in an air tight container in the refrigerator for up to a week. You can also freeze or can this. I canned it, and got 6 pint jars out of the recipe.

Monday, November 17, 2014

Oh do I have a good one for you this week! Are you like me, and still have some apple cider sitting in your fridge from a trip to an orchard this fall? I came across this recipe a few weeks ago and thought it would be a good one to try to use up the cider. Can’t get much easier than a 3 ingredient recipe! I admit I was a big skeptical, because generally, I am not a fan of fruit and meat together, but let me tell you…the gravy that this dish creates is AMAZING! For real. It’s worth making just to get the gravy. I was expecting sweet, and it wasn’t. It’s a super delicious combination of flavors. I’m so glad I decided to whip up some mashed potatoes to enjoy the gravy even more!

Putting a ham in a crock pot for your holiday celebrations is so easy, and it really helps to juggle other entrees because your oven is free for many other delicious Thanksgiving and Christmas dishes. I used a boneless hickory smoked ham, mainly because I could cut it in half to help it fit into my crock pot! So keep that in mind when choosing a ham, you want it to fit in your pot! Try this recipe this year, you won’t regret it!

Slow-Cooked Ham in Cider Gravy

One ham, 1-4 lbs

2 cups unsweetened apple cider

3/4 cup REAL maple syrup (not the fake stuff!)

3 Tbsp cornstarch

Place ham in the slow cooker and pour cider and syrup over it. Cook on Low for about 6 hours.

Then, remove the ham to a plate. Put liquid into a large 4 cup measuring cup or bowl.

Now, make the gravy. Whisk the cornstarch with 1/2 cup of the cider on the stove-top over low heat until smooth. Turn the heat up to medium, and continue to add the cider a bit at a time, whisking constantly, until all the cider is in the gravy. Serve with the ham.

Monday, November 10, 2014

This week's recipe is one of those that will "stick to your gut!" This one is for the beef lovers out there...it's Crock Pot Beef Barley soup! This is a really easy way to make a barley soup. On the stovetop, it takes a long time for barley to cook, and you have to keep an eye on it. For this recipe, the uncooked barley goes in with all the other ingredients at the start, and cooks to perfection, with no babysitting required! Good one to throw in your slow cooker before work, so you can come home to a perfectly cooked soup. It's more like a stew though, as it's quite hearty. Similar to an Irish Stew, but without potatoes.

Add all ingredients to a 6-qt crock pot. Stir it all up and cook on low for 6-8 hours. You may want to check for liquid level and add more stock or water if needed, as the barley will absorb a lot of liquid as it cooks.

Monday, November 3, 2014

Happy Halloween Week! As I have mentioned often, I use my slow cooker year round. But, I do try to do seasonal dishes when called for. This time of year, I love to experiment with fun recipes that involve what I love about fall! One thing I definitely love is the spices in autumn dishes, from pumpkin spice to cinnamon and all that goes with it. I stumbled upon this recipe over the summer, and couldn’t wait for Fall to get here so I could try it. My son is a September baby, so this year, I finally had his birthday party (5th!) at a pumpkin patch, like I had always wanted to do! I made this recipe for guests to snack on at the party, and wow, is it delicious! My husband and I were snitching more of it than we should have when I first made it, because it is quite addicting (especially when warm out of the crock pot!). I almost had to make a second batch for the party, haha! This is a great one to do with your kids or grandkids, because they can help you measure and add all the ingredients easily. With Halloween parties/school events this week, this would be a perfect treat to make and throw in some decorated up small ziploc baggies to give to kids or co-workers. It would also make a really nice thing to set out at your Thanksgiving celebrations, so people can snack on something while waiting for the big meal to hit the table! PLUS, it makes your house smell DELICIOUS when you make it!!!!!

*note: The original recipe calls for mini graham crackers. I don’t think these are made anymore, i couldn’t even find them online. You can just break up larger grahams or omit them from the mix. If you don’t mind shapes in your mix, use Teddy Grahams, or I used Annie’s little graham cracker bunnies in mine!

In a small bowl, mix together melted butter, brown sugar, pumpkin pie spice & vanilla. Pour over mixture in the crock pot, and gently stir until the mixture is evenly coated.

Cook UNCOVERED on HIGH for 2 hours, gently stirring every 15 to 20 minutes. When done, spread mix onto ungreased baking sheet or waxed paper. Let cool for 3-5 minutes (yeah right, I was eating it right out of the crock, YUM!).